1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 253 Ronan is a true friend of women!

Feng Zhen was a person who couldn't hold back her words. Before Ronan hung up the phone, she ran to the kitchen to tell Luo Tianhai the good news.

They really gave birth to an amazing son!

We must make Lao Luo and her proud!!

But the expression on Ronan's face as he held the receiver was not relaxed at the moment, and seemed a little serious.

Cafu told Ronan on the phone that the grapevine wreath he designed was not only loved by wealthy people, but also by the distributors of Apt Building Materials City.

If it weren't for the fact that it was less than a month away from Christmas, and considering that Ronan's supply capacity might not be able to keep up, Cafu would have ordered a larger quantity.

Ronan said bitterly:

"But I may not be able to supply the quantity ordered now."

After the restaurant's traffic recovered, the employees each returned to their respective duties. Where would there be so many idle people to make wreaths?
Cafu on the other end of the phone said nervously:
"I don't want more, but you have to make these 1000 before December 12th. They've all been ordered. This is the first time we're bringing our products to the market. We can't let our reputation suffer."

Ronan held his forehead:

“Time is too tight.”

The last batch of 150 wreaths was made by a dozen employees in a week, but it took several more days to learn and process the vines.

In other words, this time Ronan has to mobilize at least dozens or even hundreds of people to do this.

Finding people is only the first step, the second step is to teach.
Even if Batty had three heads and six arms, he couldn't teach it all.

Full of problems.

You really don't care about my life or death, man!

Cafu said in an encouraging tone:
"You can do it. I'll send you the money in two days! Cash!!"

Feng Zhen speaks too fast.

Before Ronan went to find the employees, they already knew the news.

After get off work, they surrounded Ronan and asked him how much he wanted this time.

"How do you find time to do this?" Ronan asked them with a frown.

Isabel said excitedly:

"Go home and make them. I'm very fast at making wreaths now. I can make at least 2 or 3 in one night."

Perhaps because he had just met Bruno a few days ago, Ronan immediately had a scene in his mind where he was interviewed by the Law Enforcement Office and accused of forcing employees to work overtime.

At the same time, another idea popped into Ronan's mind.

It was definitely illegal to let employees take their jobs home, and he didn't have the courage to gamble that he would be lucky enough to escape a huge fine.

But you can do it as a part-time job.

The women of Lourmarin have always had the habit of doing handicrafts to supplement their family income. Isn't it enough to just pay them?

Ronan quickly calculated the shipping costs and the cost of purchasing the decorations.

I wanted to refer to the income from sewing quilts, but I thought that time was urgent and it had always been Ronan’s goal to make Lourmarin rich and give back to the restaurant, so I didn’t consider the broken quilt that could only earn 8 francs in 300 days!
He tentatively asked these employees:

"I'm going to buy some decorations tomorrow. If you want to make them, you can take them home and make them after work. I'll charge you 50 francs each. Do you agree?"

Giving them 50 francs, Ronan's profit was about 25%.

He could earn 120 francs from a 30-franc wreath, which was the same as the commission rate of Pires, the "center" of the Lourmarin embroidery quilt, and he could not be considered a black-hearted businessman.

As soon as these words were spoken, the restaurant became as lively as when it was full during the day.

"Can I ask my mother and sister to do it together?"

"Will you accept even if I make a hundred of them?!"

"God, Ronan you are such a good man!!"

Ronan said loudly to these employees:

"Collect, collect, collect. Collect them all. Collect as much as you can."

I’m just worried that you haven’t done enough!
Cafu's call in the evening disrupted Ronan's plan. He had planned to leave early to find Zoe.

After the restaurant closed, he went home with Leah.

On the way, Leia saw that Ronan was obviously thinking about something, so she took the initiative to ask:
"Thinking about the wreath order?"

Ronan said 'hmm':
"The time is too tight this time. I don't know how many people the employees can mobilize. If there are not many people coming to get the materials tomorrow, I will ask someone to go door to door to ask."

Even if 20 employees mobilized their mothers, sisters and younger sisters, it would not be enough.

Leah smiled and shook her head:

"You don't have to worry about that at all."

Ronan tilts his head:

"why?"

Leah looked at the lights in the distance and said:

"You know, I was actually surprised that you were able to mobilize so many farmers to work this week. Louis was also surprised. When I went home that day and told him about the farmers rushing to sign up, he didn't believe it."

Ronan didn't understand what they didn't believe:
"So many people came unexpectedly?"

Leah shook her head:

"No, it's surprising that they are willing to give up the days of lying at home and drinking, and go out to work and make money."

She looked at Ronan and said:
"Theo is the laziest farmer, but he is not the only lazy farmer. In the past, they would rather watch their wives and daughters sew quilts by candlelight than go out to do something to earn money in the winter."

Ronan was so shocked that he was speechless.

This is not the same as the farmer and Lourmarin he saw. "All the changes started with your arrival." Leah took the initiative to explain to Ronan, "Everyone finally knows. Can life be lived like that? Is money so important?"

Leah now looked at Ronan like her own son and said gently:

"So when there is an opportunity to make money, everyone will grab it. Don't worry, there will be a lot of people coming to the restaurant to get the ingredients tomorrow."

Ronan sighed:

"Hopefully."

"It's not a hope, but a certainty." Leah said firmly, "I will start making wreaths when I go home tomorrow."

"Is it true?" Ronan asked in surprise.

Leah didn't participate in the last wreath-making ceremony.

Leah smiled and shrugged:

"Of course, why not make money? Who would complain that their life is not good enough?"

She happily took Ronan's arm and walked towards the brightly lit house ahead:

"And we will definitely compile it quickly and well so that you can hand it in on time. You don't understand how much housewives like us who live in Luberon cherish the opportunity to make money. Men have many choices and ways out in their lives, but if a woman misses an opportunity, she may miss it for the rest of her life."

Leah's words hit the nail on the head.

As soon as the restaurant opened the next day, many housewives came to get the decoration materials. Not only were the employees' family members, but also many other people who heard the news.

While they were waiting anxiously, they confirmed again and again whether 50 francs was really enough for making a wreath.

Did they hear it wrong?

Leah and Feng Zhen kept comforting them, saying that they did not hear wrong, but it didn't have much effect.

These Lourmarin women have heard too many "stories" about Ronan throughout the year. They only believe Ronan, and they will only believe what Ronan says.

Feng Zhen and Leah looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Ronan had unknowingly become the most important person in Lourmarin, and even housewives who seldom left the house regarded him as their "backbone".

Ronan, who went to Apt to buy wreath decorations, returned to the restaurant and saw so many people standing inside and thought something had happened.

But after seeing that all the people who came were women, I finally understood what Leah meant yesterday - 'You don't understand how much we housewives living in Luberon cherish the opportunity to make money.'

Yes, they have been sewing quilts for their entire lives, earning 8 francs in 300 days.

A wreath of 50 francs might be an amount of money they could never imagine in their lifetime.

Looking at the expectant and excited eyes of these mothers and grandmothers, Ronan vowed that he must help Blanc make Lourmarin wealthy as soon as possible.

The people here are really poor.

Ronan's voice was not loud, and his tone was not fluctuating. He made the most serious promise with the most sincere attitude:

"Please believe me, this time the wreaths are really 50 francs each. As long as the total is within 1000, I will charge you for as many as you make. I hope this is just the beginning. In the future, I will work hard to bring you more orders and help you make more money."

Suddenly, a solitary applause sounded from outside the crowd.

Batty put his palms on top of his head and slapped them vigorously, getting very emotional.

Following his lead, several artists in the restaurant stood up and applauded.

"Ronan, you are not only an excellent artist, but also a great civil rights activist!"

"You are so great!" Batty was happy from the bottom of his heart, "I won't be angry even if you steal my title of 'Women's Friend', man, you are really cool."

Ronan is now a veritable 'friend of women'.

Pink wine is a favorite drink of women, and all the people doing the hand-knitting this time are women.

Ronan can now not only get the farmers to respond to his call, but also the housewives of Lourmarin!
After spending a long time with Batty, Ronan discovered that he was not "lecherous" because he was attracted to women of all ages.

Even if he is assigned to work with a dozen eighty-year-old ladies, he can still be full of passion.

What an amazing person.

"I'm sorry to trouble you again." Ronan said with some reluctance.

Although they are all women again, the base number this time is too large.

The employees had to work during the day, and Ronan didn't want to waste time on this matter unless it was absolutely necessary, because each trip he avoided into the mountains would cost him several thousand yuan, and that was all money. So the responsibility of teaching fell on Batti again.

Batty said seriously:

"I'm not tired, and I'm willing to do it, but I'm worried that I don't have enough time. There are indeed many people willing to do it, but if I don't teach them, they can't start doing it. It will take a lot of time to teach them all."

Ronan stroked his chin and asked:
"How much time is needed?"

Again, making a wreath is not difficult, but it takes a certain amount of time and skill to handle the vines, and that’s where the difficulty lies.

Batty carefully evaluated:

"It takes at least a week to teach everyone how to handle the vines and supervise them in making one or two wreaths."

Ronan's eyes suddenly lit up:
"If we add one more person, can the time be cut in half?"

Batty looked at Ronan's employees:

"Do you want one of them to teach with me? Of course you can, but they don't have a firm grasp of it."

Among Ronan's employees, the one who made the most wreaths is more than ten.

It is far from the level that can teach others.

Ronan stood up and walked out:

"Not them, there is another person in Lourmarin who can weave."

How could I forget her!
(End of this chapter)